Students rage to save the farm

Students protested the cuts being made to the Pierce College farm directly after the “Budget My Education” town hall meeting in the Campus Center yesterday.

The group of up to 15 students stood outside the Campus Center holding signs and chanting, “Save our farm, save our school!”

“We’re being lied to by the administrators and the president,” said Marc Smollin, a pre-vet student.

“It’s the best time for the Board of Trustees to make decisions without the potential for a real fight,” said Smollin, referring to Pierce only having an interim president.

The students were outraged about the cuts and about changing their classes to the new Center of the Sciences building.

“We learn to take care of cows on a farm, not in a class,” said Smollin.

Smollin went on to explain that in the beginning of the year 130 students showed up for an animal science class he was in and only 100 seats were available. With the new classroom change, only 30 seats would be available.

“The new facility should be an addition, not a replacement,” said Smollin.

Along with being disappointed about the downsize of the classroom, the students also talked about the night caretakers being replaced by surveillance cameras.

“The sheriffs are going to do what? They don’t know how to take care of animals!,” cried Kris Galang, a 27-year-old pre-vet major.

Galang went on to say, “They could get kicked in the head by a cow or horse. They don’t know how to work with animals.”

Agriculture student, Randi Katz, lives across the street from Santa Monica College (SMC), and explained that she would rather drive to Pierce for the agriculture department – instead of walking to SMC .

“If they got rid of the farm, what would be the point of me going here?” Katz asked.